RETAIL ENVIRONMENT

Irish police warning over iTunes scam

The Republic of Ireland has become the latest territory for fraudsters using iTunes as currency by duping members of the public to purchase gift cards.

The Garda Siochana has warned people to remain vigilant after many have fallen victim to the scam, according to the Irish Journal.

In counties Wicklow and Tipperary two people purchased in excess of €1,000 worth of iTunes vouchers.

In Galway, another person was scammed out of €2,200. In Dublin, one person attempted to purchase €1,000 in iTunes gift cards at a supermarket, before a member of staff became suspicious and contacted the Garda.

The scam, which has also been seen in the UK, involves the unsuspecting member of the public receiving a phone call or voicemail from the scammer, claiming to be a representative of an organisation to which they claim the victim owes money.

Upon contact with the victim, the scammers will insist immediate payment is required, suggesting the payment needs to be made by purchasing iTunes gift cards from a retailer.

In some of these cases, victims were told they are facing criminal charges.

Once the victim has purchased these cards, the scammers will ask them to share the 16-digit code on the back of the card over the phone. The scammers will then use this code to purchase goods online.

Gardaí have told people – particularly older people – to remain vigilant and suspicious of any calls or voicemails from people claiming to represent a company or organisation they may be a customer of.

The caller may have some information about their victim, so people are being warned not to trust callers just because they use your name or other personal information.

“No company will request payment via iTunes or any other online vouchers. If you receive a call like this, end the call and contact Gardaí,” a spokesperson said.